Ink delivery system and ink delivery method of liquid -type electrophotographic printer

Abstract

The present invention provides an ink delivery system and an ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer which are adapted to detect whether or not liquid in any one of containers which supply ink and a solvent to circulation tanks is exhausted without installing separate level sensors.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. An ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer for supplying concentrated ink and a solvent to circulation tanks receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units, comprising: 
       (a) preparing ink cartridges storing concentrated ink to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (b) preparing a solvent cartridge storing a solvent to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (c) detecting an ink concentration of each circulation tank by using predetermined concentration sensors which correspond to respective circulation tanks;  
       (d) adjusting the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks by supplying the concentrated ink from a corresponding one of the ink cartridges directly to a corresponding one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of the corresponding circulation tank is lower than a predetermined range;  
       (e) generating a message informing that the concentrated ink in the corresponding ink cartridge is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range, even after a preset number of the ink concentration adjusting steps have been repeated;  
       (f) adjusting the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks by supplying the solvent from the solvent cartridge directly to a corresponding one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of the corresponding circulation tank is higher than a predetermined range; and  
       (g) generating a message informing that the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range, even after a preset number of the ink concentration adjusting steps have been repeated.  
     
     
       2. An ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer for supplying concentrated ink and a solvent to circulation tanks receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units, comprising: 
       (a) preparing ink cartridges storing concentrated ink to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (b) preparing a solvent cartridge storing a solvent to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (c) providing a level sensor for detecting a quantity of the solvent remaining in the solvent cartridge;  
       (d) detecting an ink concentration of each circulation tank by using predetermined concentration sensors which correspond to respective circulation tanks;  
       (e) adjusting the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks by supplying the concentrated ink from a corresponding one of the ink cartridges directly to a corresponding one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of the corresponding circulation tank is lower than a predetermined range;  
       (f) generating a message informing that the concentrated ink in the corresponding ink cartridge is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range even after a preset number of the ink concentration adjusting steps have been repeated;  
       (g) determining whether or not the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks is higher than a predetermined range,  
       (h) adjusting the ink concentration of a corresponding one of the circulation tanks by supplying the solvent directly to the corresponding circulation tank when the solvent remains in the solvent cartridge; and  
       (i) generating a message informing that the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed.  
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein in step (g), the level sensor determines whether or not the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed. 
     
     
       4. An ink delivery system of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer including: 
       circulation tanks for receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units;  
       concentration sensors each for detecting a concentration of ink in a corresponding circulation tank;  
       ink cartridges which store concentrated ink to be supplied to the respective circulation tanks and are directly connected to the respective circulation tanks; and  
       a solvent cartridge which stores a solvent to be supplied to the respective circulation tanks and is directly connected to the respective circulation tanks.  
     
     
       5. An ink delivery system of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein a level sensor is installed at the solvent cartridge for detecting a quantity of the solvent remaining in the solvent cartridge. 
     
     
       6. An ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer for supplying concentrated ink and a solvent to circulation tanks receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units, said method comprising: 
       (a) providing ink cartridges operable to store concentrated ink to be supplied directly to the circulation tanks;  
       (b) providing a solvent cartridge operable to store a solvent to be supplied directly to the circulation tanks;  
       (c) providing predetermined concentration sensors operable to detect an ink concentration of each circulation tank;  
       (d) increasing the amount of concentrated ink in any one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of one of the circulation tanks is lower than a predetermined range;  
       (e) generating a message informing that the concentrated ink in a corresponding one of the ink cartridges is consumed;  
       (f) increasing the amount of solvent in any one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of one of the circulation tanks is higher than a predetermined range; and  
       (g) generating a message informing that the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed.  
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein in step (c), the predetermined concentration sensors correspond to respective circulation tanks. 
     
     
       8. An ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer for supplying concentrated ink and a solvent to circulation tanks receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units, said method comprising: 
       (a) providing ink cartridges operable to store concentrated ink to be supplied directly to the circulation tanks;  
       (b) providing a solvent cartridge operable to store a solvent to be supplied directly to the circulation tanks  
       (c) providing a level sensor for detecting a quantity of the solvent remaining in the solvent cartridge;  
       (d) providing predetermined concentration sensors operable to detect an ink concentration of each circulation tank;  
       (e) increasing the amount of concentrated ink in any one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of one of the circulation tanks is lower than a predetermined range;  
       (f) generating a message informing that the concentrated ink in a corresponding one of the ink cartridges is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range;  
       (g) determining whether or not the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks is higher than a predetermined range;  
       (h) increasing the amount of solvent in any one of the circulation tanks when the solvent remains in the solvent cartridge; and  
       (i) generating a message informing that the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed.  
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein in step (g), whether or not the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks is higher than a predetermined range is determined by the level sensor. 
     
     
       10. An ink delivery method of a liquid-type electrophotographic printer for supplying concentrated ink and a solvent to circulation tanks receiving ink to be supplied to respective developing units, comprising: 
       (a) preparing ink cartridges storing concentrated ink to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (b) preparing a solvent cartridge storing a solvent to be supplied to the circulation tanks;  
       (c) detecting an ink concentration of each circulation tank by using predetermined concentration sensors which correspond to respective circulation tanks;  
       (d) adjusting the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks by directly supplying the concentrated ink from a corresponding one of the ink cartridges to a corresponding one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of the corresponding circulation tank is lower than a predetermined range;  
       (e) generating a message informing that the concentrated ink in the corresponding ink cartridge is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range, even after a preset number of the ink concentration adjusting steps have been repeated;  
       (f) adjusting the ink concentration of any one of the circulation tanks by supplying the solvent directly from the solvent cartridge to a corresponding one of the circulation tanks without commingling the solvent and the concentrated ink outside the corresponding one of the circulation tanks when the ink concentration of the corresponding circulation tank is higher than a predetermined range; and  
       (g) generating a message informing that the solvent in the solvent cartridge is consumed when the concentration is not within the predetermined range, even after a preset number of the ink concentration adjusting steps have been repeated.